Prep season for the Travers Stakes (G1) gets into full swing with the Jim Dandy (G2) on Saturday, July 29, at Saratoga Race Course. Though the race only drew a field of five, the field features quality from top to bottom. The favorite will be Forte for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who makes his first start since a second-place finish in the Belmont Stakes. Disarm, the fourth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, lines up for Steve Asmussen.

The other three runners are all trained by Brad Cox, and all are familiar from graded company. Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire leads his group, which also includes Kentucky Derby fifth-place finisher Hit Show and Dwyer (G3) second-place finisher Saudi Crown.

2023 Jim Dandy Information

• Race Date: Saturday, July 29
• Track: Saratoga Race Course
• Post Time: 5:45 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
• Distance: 1 ⅛ miles
• Age/Sex: three-year-olds
• Where to Watch: TVG.com, Fox
• Where to Bet: TVG.com and FanDuel Racing

Jim Dandy Draw and Odds

This is the full field for the Jim Dandy, including post positions, trainers, and jockeys. Morning lines have not yet been released by the track, but we will update that information when it is available.

Jim Dandy Prep Race Results

The five horses in the Jim Dandy come out of just three races. Three of the five horses in the race are making their first starts since the Belmont Stakes on June 10. The top finisher among them is Forte, who rallied for second, just 1 ½ lengths behind winner Arcangelo. Hit Show and Angel of Empire, who both tracked in closer range of the pace than their usual running styles would suggest they wanted to, dead-heated for fourth, ¾ length behind Forte.

Disarm, the fourth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, returned to win a sloppy edition of the Matt Winn (G3) at Ellis Park on June 11 in stalk-and-pounce fashion. The newest face of the group, Saudi Crown, comes into the Jim Dandy off of a nose defeat in his stakes debut, the Dwyer (G3), behind the more experienced Fort Bragg.

Jim Dandy Contenders

Here is a closer look at each of the runners in the 2023 Jim Dandy in order of post position.

1. Disarm: Disarm showed some talent as a late bloomer on the Kentucky Derby trail, running on from midfield for underneath shares in the Louisiana Derby (G2) and Lexington (G3). However, he has come into his best recently, proving he is a real late bloomer: he finished fourth as a 27-1 outsider in the Kentucky Derby, and then showed good tactical pace to win the Matt Winn by ½ length last month. Second-place Verifying has already come back to win the Indiana Derby (G3), suggesting some quality from that race.
2. Forte: Last year’s juvenile champion was sharp to start his three-year-old year, romping in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and then scoring a one-length score over eventual Kentucky Derby winner Mage in the Florida Derby. He was scratched on the morning of the Run for the Roses due to a bruised foot, but proved he had not lost a step when he ran a good second behind the sharp Arcangelo in the 1 ½-mile Belmont Stakes. His late-running style may be a disadvantage in the field of just five, but he rallied to overcome an impossible-looking situation in the Florida Derby and may be good enough to do so again.
3. Hit Show: The New York spur of the Kentucky Derby trail gets a bad rap, but it has produced some solid runners lately between eventual Belmont winner Mo Donegal last year and Hit Show this year. Though this son of Candy Ride did not win a classic, he ran a surprisingly good fifth in the Kentucky Derby and dead-heated with the better-fancied Angel of Empire for fourth in the Belmont. He may find some too good once again, but he does fit, and he is consistent and tactical enough to get a piece, especially on the cutback to 1 ⅛ miles, a better distance for him than those longer trips in the classics.
4. Saudi Crown: The latest bloomer in the group, he did not make his debut until April 16 when he surfaced in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Keeneland. He won that race in dominant stalk-and-pounce fashion, and then led at every call of a six-and-a-half-furlong allowance sprint at Churchill on May 21. He missed by a nose after setting the pace in the Dwyer behind the more experienced Fort Bragg, but showed his natural speed again. Trying two turns for the first time against a field this deep in the Jim Dandy will be a challenge, but his early pace means he gets the jump from the outset, and they’ll have to catch him.
5. Angel of Empire: He looked to be improving into the Classic season, and though he was beaten as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby, he put up credible late-running attempts for minor awards in both that race and the Belmont. He may be up against it from a pace perspective once again in the Jim Dandy, but the cut back to 1 ⅛ miles should suit this son of Classic Empire perfectly, since he showed his flashiest form ever in a pair of 1 ⅛-mile races earlier this year.

Jim Dandy FAQ

Here are answers to commonly-asked questions about the Jim Dandy Stakes.

Q: When is the Jim Dandy?

A: Saturday, July 29, 2023, at 5:45 Eastern Daylight time.

Q: Where is the Jim Dandy?

A: The race takes place at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is carded as the tenth race on Saturday’s 12-race card. The card also features the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1), a race for top older sprinters.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Jim Dandy?

A: Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Jim Dandy more than anyone. He has six victories since 2000, most recently with Palace Malice in 2013. He returns to the 2023 edition of the race with Forte.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Jim Dandy?

A: Forte is the 7-5 morning-line favorite in the 2023 edition of the Jim Dandy. He comes out for the race’s leading trainer, and also brings the strongest combination of class and experience to the race. Definitely respect a betting swing on either Angel of Empire or Saudi Crown, the 5-2 co-second-choices on the morning line, though it would be a surprise if either went off a shorter price than Forte.

Q: Who is the best Jim Dandy jockey?

A: Eddie Maple, Jerry Bailey, and John Velazquez have each won the Jim Dandy four times. Velazquez is the only one of these jockeys still riding, though he does not have a call this year. Among jockeys riding the race in 2023, Joel Rosario leads with two victories.

Q: Who won the Jim Dandy in 2022?

A: The favorite, Epicenter, won the Jim Dandy in 2022 for trainer Seve Asmussen and jockey Joel Rosario. Asmussen and Rosario reunite in 2023 with Disarm for the same owner, Winchell Thoroughbreds.